Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Kobe Bryant “doesn’t have anything left to prove”

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NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar speaks to students at Branciforte Middle School in Santa Cruz about his new book, ‘Stealing the Game,’ written for pre-teen kids. (Photo by Dan Coyro/Santa Cruz Sentinel)

The Lakers legend soaked up the atmosphere around him. The standing ovations turned louder. The gifts became grander. The praise soon seemed endless.

Could this happen to Kobe Bryant, presuming he returns next season for what will mark the 20th year and possibly last of a storied NBA career? Bryant has insisted he will play out the final season of his contract worth $25 million; he’s spent the past six weeks recovering from season-ending surgery to his right shoulder.

The Lakers star also stayed firm on two things. He has no set retirement date. He also has no interest in a farewell tour.

Former Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar understands the feeling. His 20th and final year with the Lakers during the 1988-89 season featured opponents hosting countless pre-game ceremonies that entailed tribute videos, presents and warm receptions.

“It was tough on me to deal with that and then play a game,” Abdul-Jabbar said in an interview with Los Angeles News Group. “After a while it got to be somewhat of a burden.”

That did not stop the Lakers from presenting him with a 1989 Rolls Royce in his final game at the Forum, as he sat on a rocking chair.

“I don’t think of the gifts so much as the fans and what they expressed,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “It was nice where they could have a moment to express their appreciation.”

Abdul-Jabbar reported he has recently received positive feedback that has nothing to do with his time with the Lakers, where he won five of his six NBA titles and three of his six league MVP awards. Abdul-Jabbar just released his ninth book titled “Stealing the Game,” and will sign copies at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena beginning at 6.p.m on Friday. He also made recent appearances at his alma mater UCLA (Wednesday) and a Barnes & Noble in Huntington Beach (Thursday).

Abdul-Jabbar described the book as “based loosely” on his life, the young adult novel co-written with Raymond Obstfeld that addresses teenage issues involving self-esteem, relationships with friends and family, and basketball. The book’s main character, Chris Richards, also draws comics, leading Abdul-Jabbar to joke he wished his super powers entailed the ability to fly and become invisible.

Bryant may wish the same thing. He has spent the past three offseasons rehabbing significant injuries to his left Achilles tendon, left knee and right shoulder.

“He doesn’t have anything left to prove,” Abdul-Jabbar said of Bryant, referring to his five NBA championships. “It’s up to him on if he wants to do this. A lot of it depends on how his body responds. What he has got to do to come back is going to be tough.”

Abdul-Jabbar lasted 20 NBA seasons, crediting his strict diet and frequent training in yoga and martial arts. Abdul-Jabbar’s contributions in the 1987-88 season (14.6 points, 6.0 rebounds) and 1988-89 season (10.1 points, 4.5 rebounds) marked a steep drop from his career averages of 24.6 points and 11.2 rebounds. Yet, Abdul-Jabbar managed to play under 30 minutes in his last two years after the Lakers acquired Mychal Thompson in a trade in the 1986 offseason.

That longevity, coupled with his signature sky hook, enabled Abdul-Jabbar to become and remain the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with 38,387 career points.

“I was able to be the focus for our offense on every team I played on. The Lakers did a great job in adding depth to our team,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “It still was important for me to be able to get my hands on the ball a lot. I had confidence I could deliver.”

Will his record stay unbroken?

“They have to be really committed to doing that and be able to deliver to get up that volume of shots,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “But they make so much money. No one wants to play 20 years.”

Bryant plans to do that. He surpassed Michael Jordan this season for third place on the all-time scoring list and currently has 32,482 points. But Bryant remains 5,905 points away from topping Abdul-Jabbar with a roster that hardly matches the Showtime Lakers. That prompted Abdul-Jabbar to offer sympathy to Lakers coach and former teammate Byron Scott.

“Byron does a good job, understands the fundamentals and has tried to get the best out of them,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “But things keep happening and guys keep getting hurt. It’s crazy. There’s not much you can do about it.”

Abdul-Jabbar then noted the Lakers once thrived by making trades that landed Magic Johnson, James Worthy and Bryant in the NBA Draft. The Lakers could have a top-five pick instead of sending it to Philadelphia as part of the Steve Nash trade with Phoenix. They will have a middle first-round pick stemming from the Jeremy Lin trade with Houston. The Lakers will also can sign one marquee free agent to a max contract.

“It’s certainly going to require patience,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “They have the money and cap space to get free agents and will have draft picks to make an impact in the draft. But you can’t make it happen all at once.”

Mark Medina has been the Lakers beat writer for the Los Angeles Daily News since 2012. He also works as a Lakers insider for AM570 and is heard on national radio outlets, including The Dan Patrick Show, The Herd with Colin Cowherd, The Chris Mannix Show, Fox Sports Radio, CBS Sports Radio, Yahoo! Sports Radio and SB Nation Radio. Medina also appears frequently on Spectrum SportsNet and NBC4's "Going Roggin."

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